Hey guys, it’s Emile Ennis Jr. with Clevver News.
The world lost an extraordinary talent over the weekend as it was revealed that Chadwick
Boseman had passed away following a tough four-year battle with colon cancer.
The tragic and heartbreaking news about Chadwick Boseman shook the world to its core.
While many continue to grieve the loss of a real-life superhero at the young age of
43, the sadness has intensified over the fact that Chadwick lived a secret battle with colon
cancer while filming multiple movies and making cinematic history.
The news came on Friday evening when his family shared a statement to Instagram, saying QUOTE,
“Chadwick was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer in 2016, and battled with it these
last 4 years as it progressed to stage IV.”
The statement went on to say, “A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all, and brought
you many of the films you have come to love so much.
From Marshall to Da 5 Bloods, August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and several more,
all were filmed during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy.
⁣It was the honor of his career to bring King T’Challa to life in Black Panther.
“
Chadwick passed away in his home, alongside his wife and family as millions of people
around the world joined in mourning such a bright light and genuine talent.
When looking back on Chadwick’s accomplishments over the past four years, fans are devastated
to accept the reality of the fact that Chadwick hid his pain, privately fighting for his life
while working nonstop on multiple projects in between treatments.
Many began sending in reactions via Twitter, completely astounded and in shock about the
fact that he did all this for his biggest fans.
Journalist Fisayo Soyombo put it best, writing, “Chadwick Boseman did all those films after
being diagnosed with Stage III colon cancer, in the middle of surgeries and chemo?
Then he didn't 'lose the battle against cancer'.
He won.
He f**king won -- because he put that disease in its place until the very end!
Hero!”
Not only did Chadwick act in 10 films following his diagnosis, Black Panther would go on to
become the role that made him who he is, as it marked the first Black headlining superhero
in the Marvel cinematic universe, and paved the way for more Black representation in the
media.
One user tweeted, “Chadwick was the first superhero a lot of black kids could really
look up to and identify as.
That kind of legacy is...unparalleled and today we found out he was a superhero in real
life too, battling cancer while entertaining millions.
That strength is rare, Rest in Power King.”
Chadwick made many other films over the course of his diagnosis, including Da 5 Bloods, Marshall,
21 Bridges, Gods of Egypt and starred in four Marvel films, including End Game and Infinity
War.
His final film, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, which is an adaption of the August Wilson
play, is set to be released later this year on Netflix.
It was produced by Denzel Washington, who Chadwick later discovered, secretly paid for
his tuition to attend acting school at Oxford University.
Chadwick revealed in a 2018 interview on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon that Denzel
later came to the premiere of Black Panther and joked that Chadwick owes him for his success.
He was like, ‘I haven’t met you yet.’
And I said, ‘Yeah, I’ve got to tell you something, you know, you paid for me to go
to school.’
And he said, ‘Oh, so that’s why I’m here!
You owe me money!’
It’s evident that Denzel saw a bright light and sheer talent in Chadwick since before
the start of his acting career.
In a statement given to Entertainment Tonight, Denzel remembers Chadwick as a “gentle soul
and a brilliant artist, who will stay with us for eternity through his iconic performances
over his short yet illustrious career.”
Barack Obama also shared a heartfelt memory of Chadwick when he came to the White House
in 2013 as he made his way into the spotlight for portraying the late Jackie Robinson in
the biopic 42.
Obama shared an emotional post to Instagram, writing, “Chadwick came to the White House
to work with kids when he was playing Jackie Robinson.
You could tell right away that he was blessed.
To be young, gifted, and Black; to use that power to give them heroes to look up to; to
do it all while in pain – what a use of his years.”
Speaking of working with children, just two years after his diagnosis, Chadwick documented
his visit to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis to visit cancer patients…
all while battling his own terminal illness.
He wrote, “Had a birthday celebration with a beautiful little princess, Mady.
She let me throw the confetti twice.
I think I had as much fun as she did.”
In an emotional press conference before his death, Chadwick shared his experience communicating
with cancer patients during the filming of Black Panther and how much they looked forward
to the movie.
He said QUOTE, “It put me back in the mind of being a kid just to experience those two
little boys’ anticipation of this movie.
And when I found out that they — yeah.
It means a lot.”
In fact, many might recall that Chadwick grew up in Anderson, South Carolina, where he rented
out an entire theater and purchased 312 movie tickets for underprivileged children to attend
a screening of the movie on opening weekend.
Chadwick took to Twitter during the film’s second weekend in theaters to thank Disney
and the company’s executive chairman, Robert Iger, for its $1 million dollar donation to
the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, so they can QUOTE, “...Expand their youth STEM programs.”
Chadwick added, “You can never go wrong when you invest in kid’s futures.”
Although the many accomplishments we listed only scratch the surface of how truly remarkable
he truly was, Chadwick’s impact on the world and on so many people, as well as his warm
and selfless soul, will forever live on in the hearts of millions.
At this time, feel free to share some of your favorite memories of Chadwick down here in
the comments.
We, here at Clevver, continue to also send love and prayers to his family and loved ones
during this difficult time.
I’m your host Emile Ennis Jr., and I’ll see you soon.